Organizational transformation is about creating the right roadmap to change and success. It is about having a vision, establishing future goals, developing individual competencies required to bring about the transformation and last, but not the least, aligning these individual competencies with organizational goals.

The key elements of success are: knowledge, skills to put knowledge into practice and commitment to apply the knowledge and skills to get the desired result. What are competencies? Competencies are sets of behavioural criteria indicating the basis for continuous superior performance. Competencies focus on "how and not what" was the performance.

We tend to get so focused on numbers that we lose sight of the bigger picture. Do not penalize a person who does not bring immediate results to the table. He should demonstrate the right set of competencies required to be successful in that role. It will do wonders to employee morale in your organization and enable retention.

It's all about alignment 
Results are attainment of specifically targeted goals, deliverables or outputs, and are measurable through assessment of outcomes. Results are typically achieved at one point in time, or on successive identifiable occasions. For example, Anita completed x project to y satisfaction level within z time frame.

Competencies are measured through assessment of behavior that must be demonstrated consistently over time. Competencies are critical to success in any form of business. For example, Anita may consistently meet targets but display no inclination to develop the relevant competencies required to align individual skills with organizational goals. In a product business, she is likely to be rewarded and held in high regard. However, if the business model changes, she may find it difficult to adapt.

Focus on competencies acts as a developmental tool for employees. It helps employees understand organizational needs and develop individual skills to meet the competency gap. Competency is also a great tool for retention. It is a great source of motivation as high performers tend to get rewarded over time.

An effective human resource management is about: recruitment & selection; task assignment; learning & development; performance management; compensation & benefits; career development.

A healthy human resource management system is the first step to organizational transformation. Developing the competencies to get an effective system in place is not just another initiative, but the foundation on which all people initiatives can be built to drive business imperatives and strategies that lead to business change.

Though competency is an inherent characteristic that predisposes an individual, this is not to say that organizations do not matter. What makes an individual better than his or her peers is partially determined by the corporate culture.

Competencies are more enduring than "jobs" and it is important to remember that a competency is inherent to a person and not resident in the work that a person does. A person may have competencies. It is up to the company/employer to figure out how best to harness those talents within the context of the corporate culture and organizational requirements.

Anil Norohla, director, HR, Indian Subcontinent with Onward Novell Software (India)

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